Port Vale: Pre-match stats for Vale's League Two clash with Bradford City
November 10, 2009 – Johnstone's Paint Trophy
BRADFORD CITY 2
(Flynn 49, Hanson 70)
PORT VALE 2
(McCombe 27, R Taylor 75)
Bradford won 5-4 on penalties
PORT Vale suffered heartache at Valley Parade where a sudden death penalty shoot-out defeat in this northern section quarter-final ended their Wembley dreams.
Defender John McCombe handed Vale the lead with a 16-yard volley, but Michael Flynn levelled for Bradford not long after the break.
Vale's vulnerability at set-pieces proved to be their undoing again when James Hanson connected with a Luke O'Brien free-kick and bulged the net with a header.
Flying attacker Rob Taylor managed a 75th-minute equaliser for Vale, but then came their penalty shoot-out misery.
Louis Dodds, Kris Taylor and Adam Yates all missed from 12 yards before Steve Williams converted Bradford's winning penalty.
Bradford City: Eastwood, Bateson, Williams, Clarke, L O'Brien, Sharry (Brandon, 46), Rehman, Flynn, Neilson, Hanson, Boulding (J O'Brien, 46).
Port Vale: Martin, McCombe, Owen (Richards, 32), Collins, Yates, Jarrett (Griffith, 68), Fraser, K Taylor, Dodds, Guy (Haldane, 67), R Taylor.
Attendance: 5,096.
FORM GUIDE
Port Vale: WLWLWL
Bradford: DLWWLW
WHO WE'D LIKE TO BUY
James Hanson: The versatile striker, who also poses a threat driving forward from midfield, will be in confident mood after hitting two goals in his previous three outings. The 22-year-old has netted 10 times in all competitions this season.
WHO TO BOO
Steve Williams: Broke Vale hearts in November when he fired home Bradford's winning penalty in their Johnstone's Paint Trophy shoot-out victory.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire), pictured right: Has experience up to Coca-Cola Championship level. He has sent five players off in 27 games this season and flashed 79 yellow cards.
PROBABLE TEAMS
Port Vale: Martin, Yates, Collins, Owen, K Taylor, Haldane, Griffith, Loft, R Taylor, Richards, Rigg.
Bradford City: Glennon, Ramsden, Clarke, Threlfall, Williams, Evans, Bullock, Bolder, L O'Brien, Flynn, Hanson.
PREDICTION
PORT Vale continue their recent win-lose-win sequence by securing a 1-0 win. Sean Rigg notches the goal.
